Cabinet ministers will decide this morning whether to extend the ban on foreign travellers arriving from mainland China - which is due to expire tonight.
An initial two week ban was put in place in early February to try keep the coronavirus out of the country, and it was then extended for a further eight days.
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"[But] when the travel ban can be lifted, when the evidence supports that, we'd like to see it lifted as soon as possible."
The Australian government has extended its ban till at least Saturday, but is allowing some high school pupils from China to enter on a case-by-case basis.